moonbeam wrote:Look up the record of Mr Kirkwood MP. Was it just luck the Germans lost no aircraft over two nights of heavy bombing? Why did the Germans know to fly in at around 12,000 feet. However I do have a note of an He111on the Clydebank raid 13/3/41shot down by AA fire. Re were the Germans tipped off? Its the same sort of arguement I heard when the RAF captured a North Korean MIG15 around 1951 and found the jet engine was a copy of those produced at Hillington and Derby. So did someone walk out with the plans? My fathers ARP/Home Guard notes are not to be relied on re planes down. I suspect for propaganda moral reasons the Home Guard/ARP chaps were feed information to make them feel wanted. They were doing a good job. Sitting all night on a factory roof with a bucket of sand and a stirrup pump then going to do a whole days job is pretty soul destroying. Also these people would probably pass on little snippets such as "Raid last night" "Heard one/or two etc down". Thus people etc could pass it on to their friends etc. But as far as time of raid then the time of all clear I think are fairly accurate. I dont want to name names but look up the record of John Smith/ Arnold Henderson and Finlay Hart on the old Clydebank Town Council.

And it would have been the communists who passed information on prior to the Nazis before they hit Guernica, Stalingrad, Coventry, London etc.

This slur is just going to sit here whilst this WWII hero passes on political hatred on people who lived in Clydebank during the war. It's no excuse that you lived in a hose of political poison and that you can not cite one book, article or any piece of evidence that Communist councillors passed information on to the Germans. This isn't Facebook where you can pass all sorts of nonsense along. Now if it was the SNP you were talking about I'd believe you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Donaldson

"I before E, except after C" works in most cases but there are exceptions.

From East Dunbartonshire local history week information. "In the early stages of the war radio news programmes were hacked into with "German calling, Germany calling". Occasionally these news bulletines broadcast items of news with reference to events that were happening in Bishopbriggs.These were so local and personal that obviously someone in Bishopbriggs was feeding information to Germany. Who was it? They were never found."

first post so be gentle !! I have researched the board to see if there is anything remotely close to what I am looking for to no avail and hope someone can help.

My dad worked at the Glasgow Mortuary at the beginning of WW2 and stayed in Florence St,Gorbals.

I know about the well documented bombings in Florence/Nelson/Morrison St on the night of the start of the Clydebank Blitz as my dad had an active part in the rescue.

My dad spoke about an incident somewhere in the City or the boundary whereby a bomb had went off possibly a delay type bomb and blew in the windows of a church, sadly inside were a number of children sitting round a table attending a party (all died) with minimal injuries and maybe from shock.

My dad and his colleagues attended the scene to remove the children, has anyone ever heard of an incident like this in Glasgow or the surrounding areas ?

moonbeam wrote:From East Dunbartonshire local history week information. "In the early stages of the war radio news programmes were hacked into with "German calling, Germany calling". Occasionally these news bulletines broadcast items of news with reference to events that were happening in Bishopbriggs.These were so local and personal that obviously someone in Bishopbriggs was feeding information to Germany. Who was it? They were never found."

I just wanted to say hello to everyone as I am new to the forum. I am very interested in this thread in particular. I am one of six people writing up a history of aviation in Glasgow and upper Clydeside. We have been at it since 2009 and Air Britain are hoping to publish the book (possibly a double volume) next year end. In 2009 I had a book published called "Glasgow's Airports: Renfrew & Abbotsinch" so what we are doing is expanding that considerably. I am responsible for the Luftwaffe raids chapter so if you don't mind I will be coming on to ask a few questions if I can ask for your help. I am mainly coming at it from the RAF / Luftwaffe angle but I also want to write about what was happening on the ground and the terrible effect the bombings had. What I have found is that the Clydeside Blitz is fairly well covered but not so much the other raids. Any help will be gratefully received and will be fully acknowledged. Also if anyone wants help on the aviation side of things in Upper Clydeside we will be pleased to help (if we can!).Many ThanksKeith

As part of her year 6 project my daughter was researching children at war and to help her, my mum wrote down everything she could remember about living in Glasgow (Yoker) during the war - it makes for grim reading.

Interestingly some of the posts on this forum refer to her experience (see p40, author Socceroo, dated Mar 14, 2011) and have added to my own knowledge of what happened.

My mum's family (Phillips) lived in 26 Blawarthill Street. She was having a pillow fight with her twin brother when the bomb landed just outside the tenement. Her mum (Lizzie Phillips) had just given the twins into trouble for not being dressed and left the bedroom when the end of the building collapsed taking the twins with it. She was able to jump out of the window onto the rubble screaming for her children - she was taken away by the police before they were found.

Now comes the complete randomness of war, my mum (Marion/Mharie) lived (with severe injuries) but her brother (John) died - he was eight years old. I had no idea that there were another three people who died in the same attack. One of the neighbours wrote a poem which describes the scene - I can post it if anyone is interested.

She can't remember where she got this information but she thinks the plane was French which is why it was not picked up (I've read elsewhere it was a Dornier Do17), also that the pilot was German. She also thinks it was shot down over Dunoon and the pilot taken prisoner - can anyone confirm this or does anyone have a more accurate account.

Her story then tells of a re-location to Partick, no belongings (all destroyed), no time off work to attend funerals, uncles drowned at sea, the Blitz and the aftermath of a direct hit on a packed air raid shelter. I've got the full story and can cut and paste if it's of interest.

Are there any other survivors from this raid. Does anyone know the names of the others that died. I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like.

Re the raid on Blawarthill Street. McPhail's book notes: The first raid on Glasgow took place in blustery showery conditions at 10.20hours on the morning of 19 July 1940. One bomber appeared over the city from the north west and dropped four 250kg bombs beside Dumbarton Road. The first exploded in the garden at the rear of 34 Langholm Street where it demolished a newly built air raid shelter and seriously damaged the adjacent tenement. The second fell two feet from the end gamble of 26 Blawarthill Street. The end of the tenement was completely demolished. The other two bombs fell into a chicken run close to Blawarthill Farm but did no serious structural damage. Three people were killed including the mother of two year old Eleanor Dick. She was dressing her daughter at the time of the blast. Eighteen people were injured. The bomber dropped its remaining four bombs at Tinto Park football ground in Govan. There 13 people were injured including eight in the nearby ordnance factory. Despite the fact this bomber had been tracked since it crossed the Scottish coast near Peterhead no alert had been sounded. My mothers brother worked in Drysdale's and he thought the plane tried to bomb Yarrows or the dry dock.Two planes- Dornier Do-17's took part in this raid. Neither was shot down.

The picture of John Beanland waving from the Anderson Hut is my Great-Uncle John. My parents were born in Glasgow andcame to America in 1921 and 1925. My dad was in the Royal Scots & served in India. My parents (Walter & Mary) met in this country and had 5 children (I'm one of them). The picture you posted has been in our family since the 40's in the form of a newspaper article. It says: " NEW STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION: John Beanland, a resident of Glasgow, Scotland, who objected to leaving his warm home to spend the night in a cold, damp shelter during air raids, builds an Anderson hut in his bedroom for himself and his wife." John Beanland died the following year 13 Sept. 1942 - he was 81. Mary (Jardine) died in 1949, she was 78. They lived at 27 Foyers Street in Glasgow and had 6 children. All their children passed away, the youngest one in 1965.

Unfortunately, we never met our great Uncle and Aunt Beanland, but I remember my dad talking about his Uncle John and the Anderson Hut he built in his bedroom --- we held onto the newspaper article and it was passed down & now it's in my safe keeping. I'm wondering where you came across the picture?

Hi, I'm new on the site and posted earlier today that Mr. Beanland is my great-Uncle John. Not sure where the first post went so will repost. I remember as a child my father telling me about his Uncle John who built an Anderson Hut in his bedroom. I have the original newspaper article (although it's a little tattered). It says: New Styles in Interior Decoration: John Beanland, a resident of Glasgow, Scotland, who objected to leaving his warm home to spend the night in a cold, damp shelter during the air raids, builds an Anderson hut in his bedroom for himself & his wife. Great Uncle John & Mary Beanland lived at 27 Foyers Street in Glasgow. Great Uncle John died 13 Sept. 1942, he was 81. And Aunt Mary (Jardine) died in 1949, she was 78. John & Mary Beanland had 6 children. According to my records they have all passed, the youngest daughter Margaret in 1965. I was so EXCITED to see the picture of great-Uncle John waving, I'm wondering where you found the picture? My dad and mom are also from Glasgow, they immigrated to this country in 1921 & 1925, met and married and had 5 children. My dad was in the Royal Scots & served in India. I've been to Glasgow twice in the last 15 years, still have cousins there! If you have any other information re the picture of any of the BEANLANDS, would appreciate your letting me know! Have a Great Day!